Method and apparatus for handling a person
A lightweight, portable frame allows a caregiver to fix one or two of the caregiver's lower legs and knees in position with respect to one or two of a patient's lower legs and knees so that the fixed lower legs together support and balance the combined body weight of the caregiver and patient, allowing the caregiver to pivot the patient up or down from a seated position by using the fixed knees as a fulcrum. The frame has a lower section with a central concavity that engages one person's leg below the knee from one direction, and peripheral concavities on either side of the central concavity that engage another person's legs below the knee from the opposite direction. Legs in the peripheral concavities partially straddle the leg in the central concavity. The frame is strapped onto the patient with an upper portion of the frame braced against the patient's upper leg.
People who are injured, ill, aged, or in some way disabled often have difficulty changing position, particularly in moving between sitting and standing positions or from one surface to another. An individual's capabilities may change from hour to hour in response to pain, medication, medical precautions and contraindications, the acuteness of the person's condition, the person's emotional state and many other factors. A caregiver must therefore act cautiously each time a patient is moved, protecting both the patient and the caregiver. The caregiver should be able to closely monitor the patient's movement, provide verbal guidance, assist when needed, and intervene to prevent injury.
One way to provide this level of support is to strap the patient into an apparatus capable of independently lifting and supporting the patient's entire weight. The patient may then be raised to or lowered from a standing position, or swung or rolled into a new sitting position. Such devices often incorporate a large metal frame with hydraulic actuators. These may provide excellent control over the patient's position while minimizing exertion by the caregiver, but they are expensive, require considerable operating space, are difficult to move and time-consuming to set up. Busy caregivers who assist many patients seldom have time to struggle with large, complex lifting devices, especially when care requires travel between patients.
Many lighter and simpler lifting devices have been developed, ranging from pivoting posts mounted on platforms to straps that may be attached to a patient to give a caregiver a better grip on the patient. Though more portable than a hydraulic lift, a post mounted on a platform is still awkward to move about and may require more upper body strength than a patient can reliably muster. A simple strap or a strap with an attached grip is easy to transport and attach but forces the caregiver to provide most or all lifting and stabilization force.
Without the help of a device that provides stability and a mechanical advantage, a caregiver who lifts and assists patients must engage in strenuous motions in awkward, unbalanced positions and may suffer consequent work-related injuries, especially when these activities are repeated many times within a short period. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a caregiver who assists a patient who is standing up, sitting down, or transferring laterally to another place is at risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as back injuries, which account for one-third of all occupational injuries and illnesses reported to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) by employers every year. These are common, expensive and preventable injuries.
What is needed is a light, portable, inexpensive device that addresses OSHA concerns by decreasing the force a caregiver must use to move a patient and by eliminating the awkward postures required by other methods; that provides constant, direct contact between caregiver and patient, allowing the caregiver to control the patient and his/her movement and ensure a constant level of safety at any given time; and that is sufficiently easy to use, light, portable, and inexpensive that it can be routinely employed.
SUMMARYThe inventive apparatus is generally a structure that, when placed against at least one of an assisted person's legs and braced with opposing force from at least one of an assisting person's legs, holds the assisted person's knee or knees steady while allowing the assisting person to use the assisting person's body weight to balance the assisted person's body weight over a fulcrum formed by the knees of both people. The assisted person may then be more easily lifted from or lowered to a seated position, shifted laterally to a different position, stabilized, or otherwise handled.
One embodiment of the apparatus is a frame with a lower member having a central concavity opening in one direction and two peripheral concavities opening in the opposite direction. Each concavity is sized to accept a person's leg below the knee. A leg inserted in the central concavity is at least partially straddled by legs inserted in the peripheral concavities. An upper member attached by side members braces against the leg above the knee. Another embodiment may be a panel with opposing central and peripheral concavities that accept knees.
The peripheral concavities engage the legs of a two-legged patient, or the central concavity engages the leg of a one-legged patient. The apparatus may be strapped in place on the patient before a caregiver engages the apparatus. When assisting a two-legged person a caregiver engages the central concavity. When assisting a one-legged person the caregiver engages the peripheral concavities. In any case, the caregiver faces the patient and engages the apparatus from a direction opposite the patient's. Opposing force against central and peripheral concavities fixes the engaged legs of the caregiver and patient in position.
The caregiver may then directly or indirectly grasp the patient's upper body and use the caregiver's body weight to balance the patient's weight over the engaged knees. The caregiver may then rock backward to move the patient to a standing position or forward to move the patient to a seated position.
Since the apparatus is light, inexpensive, and easy to manufacture, use, clean, and transport, the apparatus may be used effectively in a far wider variety of circumstances than existing devices and methods. All of these features and advantages are illustrated below in the drawings and detailed description that follow.
Since the inventive apparatus and related methods of use are most often employed during the provision of health care, the assisting person will hereafter be referred to as a caregiver and the assisted person as a patient, with the understanding that the invention is not limited to medical applications and the people utilizing the invention are not necessarily patients or health care providers.
Several embodiments of the invention have been found to be useful. Each has one concavity flanked on either side by at least two opposing concavities to form at least in part a shape roughly resembling a letter “M” or “W.”
The embodiment 100 of
An embodiment with discrete components may be disassembled for easy transport and may be resized by substitution of components. Telescoping components may allow incremental or continuous adjustments of the size and proportions of the invention. Another embodiment may be created from a flat panel that is cast, molded, or formed to have a central concavity with two opposing peripheral concavities. However, an open frame with a cushioned surface avoids pressure on kneecaps. Any embodiment is light and compact enough to be easily stored and transported by a mobile caregiver.
Overall strap length may be adjusted by changing the length of the first loop 610. The strap may be quickly buckled and unbuckled by using the side release buckle 640 to open and close the second loop 630. The fastener is usually positioned on the patient's right side when a caregiver uses his or her right knee to push against the apparatus, and on the patient's left side when a caregiver uses his or her left knee to push against the apparatus. This allows for quick and easy access by the caregiver's hand (which can be safely freed), and positions the buckle on the side opposite the knee the caregiver uses to push against the apparatus.
Attached or not, once the apparatus is positioned on the patient's knees the standing caregiver faces the seated patient, places a supporting foot between the patient's feet in the manner shown in
This arrangement of force vectors produces a much higher degree of dynamic stability than could be obtained from an arrangement where the same set of knees are pressed against opposite sides of a flat panel or a strut. Moreover, the three knees are fixed in their respective positions and co-located closely enough to function as a single broad pivot or fulcrum with considerable side-to-side stability. With body weight fixing in place the caregiver's supporting foot and the patient's feet, and the apparatus fixing their knees together, a stable pillar supporting a pivot is created that allows the balancing body weights of the caregiver and patient to rock about the pivot.
The caregiver may gain a mechanical advantage by shifting body weight back from the pivot while drawing the patient's body weight close to the pivot. In this way even a relatively small caregiver may move a relatively large patient. The apparatus decreases the load on the neck, back, and extremities of the caregiver, thus reducing the likelihood of back injuries, musculoskeletal disorders, and work-related injuries. In addition to its other properties, the apparatus is easily grasped, so that a patient who has some arm strength may assist the caregiver by grasping the apparatus in the manner of a handle and pulling his or her upper body toward the caregiver, thus reducing the force the caregiver must apply to pivot the patient upward. The patient may also grasp the apparatus simply to maintain balance.
Reaching forward to grasp the patient as shown in
The same embodiments may be used in a similar fashion to assist a one-legged person or a two-legged person who cannot use one leg because of a non-weight-bearing fracture, cellulitis, or another disabling condition. It should be understood that references to and drawings of one-legged persons refer both to amputees and to two-legged persons who are unable to bear weight on one leg.
As shown in
A caregiver faces the patient and places his or her feet on either side of the foot on the patient's only supporting leg, at least partially straddling the patient's foot. The caregiver's knees are pressed into the lower peripheral concavities 120, 130 as shown in
Once the patient is standing the patient may move or be moved in a variety of ways.
In some cases it is desirable to shift the patient's position without having the patient stand completely. This is often the case where the patient is so obese that the caregiver is unable to raise the patient or uncertain as to whether the patient would be stable if raised. In this situation the caregiver may use either the one-legged or two-legged method to raise the patient enough to slide the patient laterally between a bed and chair or other supporting surfaces. The apparatus may be used in conjunction with a sliding board, transfer disk, transfer belt (gait belt) or similar device.
Any embodiment of the invention may also be used as a tool for handling stroke patients and other persons who may not need to change position but require assistance during medical or therapeutic procedures. Any embodiment of the invention may be used to assist during rehabilitation, with maintenance of sitting or standing balance or certain postures, to facilitate trunk control and arm functions while dressing, with feeding, and during other activities. Any embodiment of the invention may be used to ensure that a patient will not slide off the edge of a bed. In any of these circumstances an embodiment of the apparatus is positioned on the patient and used in a manner described above, with the differences that the patient may be lifted only slightly or not at all, and the caregiver may grasp the patient in a manner that is not advantageous for lifting but more suited to balance or posture adjustment.
The apparatus and methods described above allow caregivers to maintain good balance, close contact and optimum control while moving patients. The principles, embodiments, and modes of operation of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing specification. The embodiments disclosed herein should be interpreted as illustrating the present invention and not as restricting it. The foregoing disclosure is not intended to limit the range of equivalent structure available to a person of ordinary skill in the art in any way, but rather to expand the range of equivalent structures in ways not previously contemplated. Numerous variations and changes can be made to the foregoing illustrative embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
Claims
1. An apparatus for handling a person, comprising a frame, a lower portion of the frame having a central concavity, a first peripheral concavity, and a second peripheral concavity, the first and second peripheral concavities connected to opposite sides of the central concavity and opening to a first direction, the central concavity opening to the opposite direction, each concavity sized and shaped to comfortably accept a human knee, the first and second peripheral concavities disposed with respect to the central concavity so that a knee inserted in the central concavity is a least partially between two knees inserted in the first and second peripheral concavities, an upper portion of the frame substantially parallel to the lower portion of the frame, the upper portion of the frame separated from the lower portion of the frame by a distance sufficient to span a person's knee from a point below mid-femur and above the knee to a point above mid-tibia and below the knee.
2. An apparatus for handling a person as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame is fabricated from tubing and encased in cushioning material.
3. An apparatus for handling a person as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame is fabricated from solid material and encased in cushioning material.
4. An apparatus for handling a person as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper and lower portions of the frame are attached by hand-operated fasteners.
5. An apparatus for handling a person as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an adjustable strap.
6. An apparatus for handling a person as claimed in claim 5, wherein the adjustable strap has a first end loop formed by a releasable buckle and a second end loop formed by hook-and-loop components.
7. A method for raising a seated, two-legged first person, comprising:
- placing a frame with first and second lower peripheral concavities against a first leg and a second leg of the first person, with the first leg at least partially inserted into the first lower peripheral concavity and the second leg at least partially inserted into the second lower peripheral concavity, the first leg contacting the first lower peripheral concavity at a point between the first leg's knee and mid-tibia, the second leg contacting the second lower peripheral concavity at a point between the second leg's knee and mid-tibia;
- positioning a standing second person directly in front of and facing the first person;
- the second person placing a supporting foot at least partially between the first person's feet and at least partially inserting the lower leg attached to the supporting foot into a lower central concavity disposed between the lower peripheral concavities on the frame, with the lower leg attached to the supporting foot contacting the lower central concavity at a point between the knee and mid-tibia of the lower leg attached to the supporting foot; and
- the second person raising the first person to a desired position by exerting force on the upper body of the first person to pull the first person toward the second person while the second person simultaneously rocks away from the first person to balance a portion of the combined weight of the first person and the second person upon the legs at least partially inserted into the frame.
8. The method of claim 7, comprising an additional step wherein the frame is strapped to the legs of the first person before the second person inserts a leg into the frame.
9. The method of claim 7, comprising an additional step wherein the second person rotates the first person to a new seat.
10. The method of claim 7, comprising an additional step wherein the second person slides the first person laterally to a new seat.
11. The method of claim 7, comprising the additional steps of looping a first end of a strap around a first frame side member to create a first loop, fastening the first loop with a releasable fastener, passing the strap over the side of the first leg opposite the frame, passing the strap around the lower central concavity, passing the strap over the side of the second leg opposite the frame, looping a second end of the strap around a second frame side member to create a second loop, and fastening the second loop with a releasable fastener.
12. A method for seating a standing, two-legged first person, comprising:
- placing a frame with first and second lower peripheral concavities against the first leg and the second leg of the first person, with the first leg at least partially inserted into the first lower peripheral concavity and the second leg at least partially inserted into the second lower peripheral concavity, the first leg contacting the first lower peripheral concavity at a point between the first leg's knee and mid-tibia, the second leg contacting the second lower peripheral concavity at a point between the second leg's knee and mid-tibia;
- positioning a standing second person directly in front of and facing the first person;
- the second person placing a supporting foot at least partially between the first person's feet and at least partially inserting the lower leg attached to the supporting foot into a lower central concavity disposed between the lower peripheral concavities on the frame, with the lower leg attached to the supporting foot contacting the lower central concavity at a point between the knee and mid-tibia of the lower leg attached to the supporting foot;
- the second person lowering the first person by exerting force on the upper body of the first person to prevent the first person from falling backward while the second person simultaneously rocks toward the first person and balances a portion of the combined weight of the first person and the second person upon the legs inserted into the frame; and
- the second person continuing to rock toward the first person until the first person is seated.
13. The method of claim 12, comprising an additional step wherein the frame is strapped to the legs of the first person before the second person inserts a leg into the frame.
14. A method for raising a seated first person with one weight-bearing leg, comprising:
- placing a frame with lower central concavity against the weight-bearing leg of the first person, with the weight-bearing leg at least partially inserted into the lower central concavity and contacting the lower central concavity at a point between the weight-bearing leg's knee and mid-tibia;
- positioning a standing second person directly in front of and facing the first person;
- the second person straddling a weight-bearing foot attached to the first person's weight-bearing leg by placing a first supporting foot on a first side of the first person's weight-bearing foot and a second supporting foot on a second side of the first person's weight-bearing foot;
- the second person at least partially inserting the lower leg attached to the first supporting foot into a first lower peripheral concavity on the frame disposed on a first side of the lower central concavity, the lower leg attached to the first supporting foot contacting the first lower peripheral concavity at a point between the knee and mid-tibia of the lower leg attached to the first supporting foot;
- the second person at least partially inserting the lower leg attached to the second supporting foot into a second lower peripheral concavity on the frame disposed on a second side of the lower central concavity, the second side of the lower central concavity opposite the first side of the lower central concavity, the lower leg attached to the second supporting foot contacting the second lower peripheral concavity at a point between the knee and mid-tibia of the lower leg attached to the second supporting foot; and
- the second person raising the first person to a desired position by exerting force on the upper body of the first person to pull the first person toward the second person while the second person simultaneously rocks away from the first person to balance a portion of the combined weight of the first person and the second person upon the legs inserted into the frame.
15. The method of claim 14, comprising an additional step wherein the frame is strapped to the weight-bearing leg of the first person before the second person inserts the second person's legs into the frame.
16. The method of claim 14, comprising an additional step wherein the second person rotates the first person to a new seat.
17. The method of claim 14, comprising an additional step wherein the second person slides the first person laterally to a new seat.
18. A method for seating a standing first person with one weight-bearing leg, comprising:
- placing a frame with a lower central concavity against the weight-bearing leg of the first person, with the weight-bearing leg at least partially inserted into the lower central concavity and contacting the lower central concavity at a point between the weight-bearing leg's knee and mid-tibia;
- positioning a standing second person directly in front of and facing the first person;
- the second person straddling a weight-bearing foot attached to the first person's weight-bearing leg by placing a first supporting foot on a first side of the first person's weight-bearing foot and a second supporting foot on a second side of the first person's weight-bearing foot;
- the second person at least partially inserting the lower leg attached to the first supporting foot into a first lower peripheral concavity on the frame disposed on a first side of the lower central concavity, the lower leg attached to the first supporting foot contacting the first lower peripheral concavity at a point between the knee and mid-tibia of the lower leg attached to the first supporting foot;
- the second person at least partially inserting the lower leg attached to the second supporting foot into a second lower peripheral concavity on the frame disposed on a second side of the lower central concavity, the second side of the lower central concavity opposite the first side of the lower central concavity, the lower leg attached to the second supporting foot contacting the second lower peripheral concavity at a point between the knee and mid-tibia of the lower leg attached to the second supporting foot;
- the second person lowering the first person by exerting force on the upper body of the first person to prevent the first person from falling backward while the second person simultaneously rocks toward the first person and balances a portion of the combined weight of the first person and the second person upon the legs at least partially inserted into the frame; and
- the second person continuing to rock toward the first person until the first person is seated.
19. The method of claim 18, comprising an additional step wherein the frame is strapped to the weight-bearing leg of the first person before the second person inserts legs attached to supporting feet into the frame.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Oct 9, 2008
Date of Patent: Dec 8, 2009
Inventors: Ivo Traykov (Port Orange, FL), Silvia Sarafova (Port Orange, FL), Francis Walters (Orlando, FL)
Primary Examiner: Alexander Grosz
Attorney: Bruce E. Weir
Application Number: 12/248,205
International Classification: A61G 7/10 (20060101);